Small businesses, big ideas.

When their plans of being a journalist and a fashion designer didn’t pan out as planned, Anna & Tobi had the tenacity to not only import and retrofit an American-made smoker but also founding members of what has now become Berlin’s weekly institution Street Food Thursday.

Check out their story in our season finale and find their newest outpost at Potsdamer Platz this summer!

Starting your own business is no picnic… even when your business is the actual picnic. Eight years ago Sascha Rimkus and Andreas Klöckner took their passion for food and wine and created the epic international pantry Goldhahn & Sampson. At the time there was no real food culture to speak of in Berlin, and it took a few years till everyone else caught on. Lucky for us, they waited for the rest of us to catch up.

Soundbrenner is bringing 21st century innovation to the world of music. A wearable metronome and “fitness tracker” for musicians of all stripes, Soundbrenner is the dream of entrepreneur and violinist Vinh-Nigh Tiet. With a crack team and production across two continents, Tiet is set to make Soundbrenner the next big thing for musicians everywhere.

The best way to discover a city's hidden gems is to get out there on your own two feet and start wandering. That's how we discovered Pete & Verena's delightful boutique a few years back.

In the time since, they inspired an entire series of short films (this one) and opened a second location in Schöneberg.

Their fair trade and sustainable wares made great gifts for holidays, birthdays or just because. And they ship internationally! Check them out in this episode and at their e-commerce site: http://house-of-dotcity.com/

We here at How To Make It In:______ celebrate entrepreneurship in all its glorious forms. Even those intangible manifestations like experiences and events. So what if we told you the most memorable one we found in Berlin is organized by a collective and takes place on the roof of a shopping mall parking garage. No, that’s not a quote from SNL’s Stefan. It’s Klunkerkranich and it’s real. The founders have a thing or two to tell you about failure, success and the road in between the two. So go ahead, follow your passion, no matter where it takes you.

Can fashion be a force for change? At Berlin's Rita In Palma, the answer is a resounding yes.

This Neukölln-based fashion label employs Turkish women to create handmade couture accessories. Many of these women were unemployed before they started working there. Several are illiterate and almost all of them lack a formal education.

In addition to employment, Ann-Kathrin, Rita In Palma's founder, created an association that is open to all Turkish women. The group provides German lessons, group exercise, and help accessing social services.

With the growing number of people migrating to Berlin, Rita In Palma is leading the way as an example of how the city can provide opportunities for people from different backgrounds and with varying skill-sets.

When a former event planner and an ex-fashion designer set out to create Neukölln’s hippest hotel, there was no stopping their rise to success. See how Silke and Sarah built their dream careers in their own personal dreamland – and how you can pay them a visit – in this episode of How To Make It In: Berlin.

A shave and a haircut and so much more. This groundbreaking, men-only salon in Charlottenburg, Berlin brings men of all stripes together for one purpose - to make them look good. Check them out at www.barbers.berlin

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream... sandwiches! Learn how Cesar and Cieran created their small business, Zwei Dicke Bären (translation: Two Fat Bears), to bring this American treat to the Berlin street food scene.

How To Make It In:________ ￼ is the inspiring new web-series that reveals the personal insights and professional struggles of successful small business owners and startup founders on Main Streets around the world.